The key findings of the final report of an Alberta government-commissioned inquiry into campaigns against the province’s energy industry says it confirms the existence of “well-funded foreign interests” spreading “misinformation” to landlock Alberta’s oil and gas sector.
The report, compiled by forensic and restructuring accountant Steve Allan, was submitted to the provincial government in July and was made public on Oct. 21.
Announcing the release of the report, Energy Minister Sonya Savage said Albertans “have the right to be upset” about the campaigns that have helped counter fossil fuel projects and led to negative consequences for the economy.
“People lost their jobs, businesses went under, families were hurt, government revenues from royalties were impacted. We lost billions of dollars in royalties,” she said at a press conference on Oct. 21.
The report says that between 2003 and 2019, Canadian-based environmental initiatives received $1.28 billion in foreign funding, while noting that the estimate is likely understated. Of that, $925 million was used by Canadian charities for “environmental initiatives,” $352 million was used to fund “Canadian-based environmental initiatives” that remained in the United States such as anti-pipeline campaigns, and $54.1 million was used specifically for “anti-Alberta resource development activity.”
It notes that environmental organizations campaigning against Alberta’s oil and gas sector appear to work in concert to advance an agenda, and that they act “like an industry,” attracting sources of funding and employing large numbers of personnel.
“While many ENGOs [environmental non-government organizations] are driven by honest concerns, the commissioner found they are also focused on their own financial sustainability, which is ensured by adapting to emerging markets and trends and jumping from cause to cause,” a document highlighting the inquiry’s findings says.
Savage said the report “shines a blinding light on the broader movement and the vast amount of foreign funding that is crossing the Canadian border, often untraced.”
The inquiry was launched by the United Conservative Party government in 2019.
Reactions
The inquiry encountered a range of criticism and obstacles, from environmentalists trying to shut it down altogether, to questions regarding the expenses incurred and the delay in submitting the final report.
